Legalise Cannabis Australia

Legalise Cannabis Australia, formerly the Help End Marijuana Prohibition (HEMP) Party, is a single-issue Australian political party.[2] It has a number of policies that centre around the re-legalisation and regulation of cannabis for personal, medicinal and industrial uses in Australia.[3]

Legalise Cannabis Australia
PresidentMichael Balderstone
FounderNigel Quinlan
Founded1993 (1993)
HeadquartersNimbin, New South Wales
IdeologyCannabis legalisation
Political positionBig tent[1]
Colours  Green
House of Representatives
0 / 151
Senate
0 / 76
NSW Legislative Council
1 / 42
Victorian Legislative Council
2 / 40
WA Legislative Council
2 / 36
City of Rockingham
2 / 13
Website
legalisecannabis.org.au

The party's headquarters are based in Nimbin, New South Wales, which is known to have a high population of recreational cannabis users and hippies.[4] Nimbin is also home to the MardiGrass cannabis festival.

The party has been involved in Glenn Druery's Minor Party Alliance.[5][6]

History

Formation

The group was founded in 1993 by Nigel Quinlan, who ran as a candidate under the name Nigel Free marijuana. In 2001, Free marijuana's name was assessed by the Australian Electoral Commission as to whether it was suitable to be added to the electoral roll – the Commission found that it was, meaning Free marijuana could run as an electoral candidate under the name.[7]

Deregistration and re-registration

In 2007, prior to the 2007 federal election, HEMP was de-registered as a political party by the Australian Electoral Commission after a random audit of its membership.[8] The group re-applied for party registration in February 2010, but according to HEMP secretary Graham Askey, delays in processing their application meant that registration did not proceed in time before the 2010 federal election was called.[9] It was formally re-registered on 23 September 2010.[10]

Name change

At the party's AGM held on 11 September 2021, a name change was proposed to change the party's name to Legalise Cannabis Australia, which was passed in a vote by party members.[11]

State and territory affiliates

The party's current affiliates are the following:

Division Leader Lower House Upper House Status
Legalise Cannabis Western Australia Leo Treasure
0 / 59
2 / 36
 Crossbench
Legalise Cannabis Queensland
0 / 93
 None Extra-parliamentary
Legalise Cannabis SA
0 / 47
0 / 22
 Extra-parliamentary
Legalise Cannabis NSW
0 / 93
1 / 42
 Crossbench
Legalise Cannabis Victoria
0 / 88
2 / 40
 Crossbench

Legalise Cannabis South Australia stood two candidates in the 2022 South Australian state election. These were lead candidate Damon Adams and second candidate Tyler Green. Neither were elected.[12]

Electoral results

HEMP has stood candidates in several federal and state elections, since its formation.[13]

The party received a nationwide Senate vote of 0.71 percent at the 2013 federal election. Historically the party's best result was at the 1994 Elizabeth by-election in South Australia with a 5.37 percent primary vote.

For the 2016 federal election, the (HEMP) Party fielded two candidates for the Senate in New South Wales, but only one each in the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia. So that the candidates did not end up in the "ungrouped" column, they teamed up with the Australian Sex Party which also fielded a single senate candidate in most states. It also fielded a candidate for the Division of Solomon in the House of Representatives.[14]

The HEMP Party scored well in the 2019 federal election with over 260,000 votes and 1.8% of the primary senate vote.[15]

Michael Balderstone ran in the 2020 Eden-Monaro by-election and received 2.3% of votes beating out almost every other minor party.[16]

At the 2021 Western Australian state election, the Party's local affiliate, Legalise Cannabis WA, were successful in gaining two seats in the Legislative Council, marking the first parliamentary representation for HEMP or its state affiliate parties.[17]

At the 2022 Victorian state election the party had two candidates elected to the Legislative Council, David Ettershank and Rachel Payne.

Australian Senate
Election Votes  % Seats won Total seats ± Status
1996 3,836[lower-alpha 1] 0.00 (#21)
0 / 40
0 / 76
 Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
1998 0 —
0 / 40
0 / 76
 Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
2001 63,648 0.55 (#10)
0 / 40
0 / 76
 Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
2004 41,501 0.35 (#11)
0 / 40
0 / 76
 Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
2007 0[lower-alpha 2] —
0 / 40
0 / 76
 Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
2010 0 —
0 / 40
0 / 76
 Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
2013 95,430 0.71 (#12)
0 / 40
0 / 76
 Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
2016 106,326[lower-alpha 3] 0.76 (#12)
0 / 76
0 / 76
 Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
2019 262,426 1.80 (#6)
0 / 40
0 / 76
 Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
2022 501,421 3.33 (#6)
0 / 40
0 / 76
 Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary

List of parliamentarians
Name Chamber Electorate Term began Term ended Length of term
Sophia Moermond Western Australian Legislative Council South West 22 May 2021 Incumbent 2 years, 155 days
Brian Walker Western Australian Legislative Council East Metropolitan 22 May 2021 Incumbent 2 years, 155 days
David Ettershank Victorian Legislative Council Western Metropolitan 26 November 2022 Incumbent 332 days
Rachel Payne Victorian Legislative Council South-Eastern Metropolitan 26 November 2022 Incumbent 332 days
Jeremy Buckingham New South Wales Legislative Council Statewide 20 April 2023 Incumbent 187 days

See also

Notes
  1. A candidate named "J Freemarijuana" led the unregistered Group G party ticket in Queensland.
  2. The Help End Marijuana Prohibition Party was de-registered by the Australian Electoral Commission before the 2007 election, and re-registered after the 2010 election.
  3. The party ran on a joint ticket with the Australian Sex Party in Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, and the Northern Territory.

References
  1. Lane, Martin (7 July 2022). "Left and right unite in vote to legalise cannabis". Cannabiz: The Business of Cannabis. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  2. Schultz, Amber (2 April 2023). "From bong to ballot: The rise of the Legalise Cannabis Party". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 7 April 2023. Legalise Cannabis is a single-issue party, aiming to legalise cannabis, introduce a moratorium on arrests of cannabis consumers, and reform drug driving laws so impairment, not presence, is tested.
  3. Hennessy, James (11 May 2022). "Your Whirlwind Tour Of The Minor Parties Running At The Federal Election". PEDESTRIAN.TV. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  4. "Nimbin: Of Rebels, Hippies, and an Alernate Lifestyle". 13 September 2021.
  5. Bitter dispute erupts over Senate preferences in Queensland: ABC 5 September 2013
  6. Alliance of micro parties boosts odds for likes of One Nation or Shooters and Fishers gaining Senate spot through preferences: Daily Telegraph 5 September 2013
  7. Free marijuana and Australian Electoral Officer for Queensland, Australian Electoral Commission, 21 September 2001.
  8. HEMP Party election hopes go up in smoke, The Sydney Morning Herald, 2 November 2007.
  9. HEMP campaign stubbed out, ABC North Coast NSW, 19 July 2010.
  10. "Registration of the Help End Marijuana Prohibition (HEMP) Party". Australian Electoral Commission. 23 September 2010. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
  11. Cannabis article regarding name change
  12. "Meet Our 2022 State Election Candidates". Legalise Cannabis South Australia. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  13. Hemp party seeks more support, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 19 January 2005.
  14. "Candidates for the 2016 federal election". Australian Electoral Commission. 11 June 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
  15. "senate primary vote". Australian Electoral Commission. 12 October 2020.
  16. "Eden Monaro by-election". Australian Broadcasting Company. 12 October 2020.
  17. "Legislative Council results". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 6 April 2021.
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